


Coffee Date

by al-damnvers (Missanna444)



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, F/F, SO MUCH FLUFF, THEY DESERVE IT, coffee shop AU, discussions about drinking/alcohol, lots of fluff, okay and some angst, unpacking some of Alex's issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-14
Updated: 2020-02-08
Packaged: 2021-01-30 09:47:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21426199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Missanna444/pseuds/al-damnvers
Summary: Kelly Olsen works as a barista in a coffee shop, trying to save up money to get her graduate degree. It's tedious and frustrating.That is, until she meets Alex Danvers, a med student who comes in every other morning and always orders the same thing: a really plain drink and another one that is a little more sweet and fancy.
Relationships: Alex Danvers/Kelly Olsen
Comments: 44
Kudos: 195





	1. Chapter 1

Saving money to go to graduate school was the most excruciatingly slow process, especially for someone who’s job was being a low-wage barista at a coffee shop. But, somehow, Kelly managed. It helped that she almost had enough saved, at least. There wasn’t much that was interesting about the job. Well, not much except for the woman who had started coming into the shop every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday morning. 

Admittedly, Kelly had first noticed her because she was absolutely gorgeous. The woman had short, red-brown hair that framed her face perfectly, along with big brown eyes full of emotion that reminded Kelly of a puppy. This woman’s smile could light up even the darkest place, Kelly figured. 

The next thing she noticed was the woman’s coffee order. Kelly had learned, as a barista, to not judge people’s orders. But there was something about this woman’s oder that just intrigued her. She always ordered the same exact thing: One black coffee and one peppermint latte with extra whipped cream. It didn’t matter the season, the order was always the same. Kelly always wondered which coffee was the one this woman drank. It was clear one was for her and one was for someone else. And though the woman had a tough air about her, she was also a softie. Kelly could tell just by the way she always tried to strike up a conversation with whoever made the order for her. Yet, she didn’t seem like the type of person to drink a peppermint latte with extra whipped cream in the middle of the summer, either.

Often, the woman came in early enough that she could chat with the staff members for a few minutes and get to know them. Kelly considered herself lucky to be able to make her order most days, she liked the conversations they had, even on days when it was just about the weather. 

“One black coffee and one peppermint latte for Alex…? Oh, you’re the only customer here.” Kelly chuckled with surprise as she handed the woman - Alex, apparently - her drinks. It had been about a month since Alex had started coming to the shop, and KElly was just now learning her name.

Alex just chuckled softly. “Yeah. Sorry. I hope I’m not coming in before you guys are ready…?” 

“Oh, not at all! I mean, it’s not a problem. One customer this early won’t kill us. The rush doesn’t really start for another half hour, anyways.” Kelly smiled at her. 

“Really? I honestly had no idea. I swear, I’m not trying to get in before the rush.” 

“No? Then why are you up this early in the morning, getting coffee?”

“Ah, one of the many frustrations of med school… My classes start really early. I don’t think I could get through them without a little caffiene boost.” Alex smiled, and Kelly had to fight to not get lost in her eyes. 

Having a conversation with Alex was always a struggle. It wasn’t that Alex wasn’t good at conversation, because she truly was. Too good. She always made sure to make eye contact with whoever she was talking to, noticing and commenting on little things the other person said. It was enough to make her conversation parter feel like they were the only important person in the world in that moment. 

“Med school, huh?” Kelly raised her eyebrows. “Impressive. I’ve gotta ask, though… Do you drink both of the coffees? Because I can understand a medical student needing a caffiene boost, but these coffees are the direct opposite of each other. I’m not supposed to judge your order, but…” 

“And yet, you’re judging me anyways.” Alex pretended to be offended, then just shook her head and laughed. “Nah, one of them is for my sister. We clearly have very different ideas of good coffee.” 

“That begs the question, though… Which one is yours?”

“Ah, well--” Alex was interrupted as her phone buzzed in her pocket. She sighed and checked it. “Shoot, that’s my sister. She’s wondering what’s taking me so long with the coffee. She’s cranky without caffiene. See you Wednesday?”

“Of course. My shift is literally the same every week.” Kelly chuckled. “Wait, before you go! You didn’t answer my question.”

“I’ve gotta keep up some level of intrigue. Maybe you’ll find out one day, if I bring my sister with me… but until then, you’ll just have to wonder.” Alex called over her shoulder, grinning as she headed out the door.

Kelly sighed, watching her go. Shit. She definitely had a crush.

  
  



	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post my new AgentCorp story, but... Honestly, I needed some Dansen fluff.

_ Three months later _

Alex had always been the type of person to only need one cup of coffe a day and she’d be perfectly fine. But after meeting Kelly, she found herself drinking at least two or more cups a day, depending on how often she managed to visit the coffee shop. Maybe she was spending a little too much money on it. To be perfectly honest, she didn’t care. She’d started going to the coffee shop on her breaks, often just looking for a little brightness in the stress that was her busy days. She couldn’t quite pinpoint the exact reason why it made her so happy to be there. Okay, maybe it was because of the cute barista she saw sometimes when she was there. But she wasn’t about to admit that just yet. 

Every once in awhile, she’d walk in and it was clear that it wasn’t Kelly’s shift. Alex hated the slight disappointment she felt every time that happened. 

“Hi, Nia!” Alex greeted as she walked in around noon one day. 

“She’s not here, unfortunately for you.” Nia chuckled from behind the counter. 

“Who’s not--?” Alex paused when she saw the knowing look on the other woman’s face. “I wasn’t... I’m just here for some coffee.”

“Mhm. Sure. I saw the way you scanned the room the second you walked in here. Kelly got off her shift about an hour ago. I thought you would have memorized her scedule by now, Danvers.” 

“You know my last name?” Alex tried to hide the fact that she was blushing with a distracting question. 

“I’m friends with your sister, remember? I’m in a couple of her classes, I’ve goteen lunch with her a few times…?” 

“Well, now I just feel stupid… I knew that. I’m sorry. She talks nonstop about her friends, you’d think--” Alex made to apologize before Nia cut her off.

“It’s okay, I’m mostly just teasing you. You’ve clearly got other things on your mind.” Nia smirked slightly. Alex rolled her eyes, but smiled. 

“You make a good point. Can I just get my coffee now?” 

“Your usual order?” 

“Yeah.” 

Alex paid for her drinks and waited inpatiently for them to be ready. She usually stayed longer and chatted with people, but she suddenly didn’t feel like it, now that Kelly wasn’t there. After getting her two coffees and saying goodbye to Nia, she headed back to her apartment to study before her next class. 

Alex’s actions hadn’t gone unnoticed by Nia. In fact, this wasn’t the first time this had even happened. So, the next morning, before Alex was supposed to come in for her order, she brought it up to Kelly.

“She leaves pretty much immediately after she gets her drinks if you aren’t there. But if you are there… Damn, that woman can talk. She stays for at least ten extra minutes if you’re there.” 

“Who does?” Kelly asked, wiping down some tables before they opened the shop.

“Alex. Look, I know you don’t notice because she only stays if you’re actually here. But I swear, that woman has the biggest crush on you.”

Kelly rolled her eyes as if to say,  _ Not this again. _ She swore that Nia hadn’t been this nosy about her love life until Alex had started showing up.

“Nia, you know I love you and you’re my favorite coworker in the whole world, but you’re reaching for evidence that isn’t there. You know what I think is going on?” 

“Oh, do tell.” Nia grinned. 

“I think that Alex just built up a rapport with me because of the routine we established. It could have happened with any of the other baristas, but I happened to be here every morning that she came in. Simple as that. So, if I’m not there, why would she stay? She doesn’t know them as well. She just thinks of me as a friend.” 

“Suit yourself. But I can promise you that I’m right.” 

And she was right. A few blocks away at the same time, Alex was talking on the phone with Kara while she made her way to the coffee shop.

“I swear, Alex, you take forever when you go in the mornings. You get there the second they open, how long can the line possibly be? And yet, in the afternoon, there’s no one and you come back immediately?” Kara told her, wondering why her coffee was always warm instead of hot whenever Alex went to get it.

“People like their coffee in the morning, I don’t know!” Alex sighed. 

“If I find out you’re always busy flirting with some barista or something…” 

“What? No! Why would I-- Who said that I was?” 

“No one, it was just a guess… You’re getting awfully defensive for someone who apparently isn’t doing that, you know.” 

“Kara, I swear I’m not.” 

“Alright, whatever… Can you pease just hurry up this time? I always end up with cold coffee.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, feel free to come say hi on Tumblr, you can find me at al-damnvers-blog!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter!!!! Sorry it took so long, Thanksgiving was truly something, and now it's finals week! Thank you for sticking with me! I'll respond to all the comments asap, I appreciate all of them!

Of all the things to see when she came in for coffee one morning, Alex wasn’t expecting to see Kelly sitting at one of the many empty tables, a laptop and notebook open in front of her. She gave her order to Nia, then wandered over to the table.

“Anyone sitting here?” She asked, though the answer was quite obvious. At the sound of her voice, Kelly looked up in surprise. 

“Alex! Hi. Oh, shoot, are we open already?” She checked the time and sighed. “Someone should have told me…” 

“There’s no other customers, and Nia’s working on my order. I think you’ll be okay.” Alex said with a soft smile. “So… Can I sit with you while I wait?” 

“Oh! Of course. Sorry. That was your original question, wasn’t it? I’m sorry, my mind is clearly all over the place today. But yes, you can absolutely sit here. I certainly wouldn’t mind the company.” 

Alex nodded and sat down across from her. She was quiet for a moment, watching Kelly work, then spoke up. “What, uh… what are you working on? Surely, there can’t be this many papers involved in the work of a barista at a coffee shop?” 

Kelly let out a soft chuckle at Alex’s question. “It’s not for my work here. It’s an application… for grad school.” 

“Ah, the barista life isn’t for you?” Alex smiled.

“It’s a good job for learning about customer service and dealing with people and working hard, but it’s not what I want to be doing.” 

“And what do you want to be doing?”

“My undergraduate degree was in Psychology. Unfortunately, there’s not a ton of work I can get that actually pays much until I get a higher degree. That’s why I work here, so I can save up. And after God knows how long, I finally have enough to at least take a couple of classes.” Kelly explained. This seemed like good news, yet her tone sounded exactly the opposite. 

“That’s amazing news. Believe me, I know how unbelievably expensive and unfortunately necessary getting another degree is. But, uh, if you don’t mind me asking, what’s wrong? You seem a bit… I don’t know, not excited.”

“It’s just… applications suck.” Kelly replied, unable to phrase it any other way. Alex nodded knowingly.

“Indeed, they do. What part are you stuck on?” 

“Proof-reading everything. Resume, personal statement, all of it. But I feel like I’ve been staring at this thing since forever, I’m bound to miss something.”

“I could read it over for you.” Alex offered, much to Kelly’s suprise. She frowned, unsure of how to take the gentle sincerity in Alex’s eyes. 

“I couldn’t ask that of you. You’re a student, you’ve got your own work…”

“I do, but I have time to read something over for a friend. Besides, you didn’t ask. I offered. I mean, I’ll back off if you want me to, but I’m happy to help.” 

Kelly sighed softly. Why did Alex have to be so genuine? And that smile? There was no way she could say no to her. Dammit. 

“Fine. Fine.” She nodded. She handed a pen and her notebook over to Alex. “Here, write your email or number or whatever down and I’ll send it to you.”

Alex quickly scribbled it all down, making sure her writing was legible. As she handed it back to Kelly, the door to the coffee shop opened and a few customers came in. 

“Looks like you’ve got to get back to work. I’ll see you soon?”

“Yep!” Kelly began to gather her things and Alex started heading towards the door. “Oh, Alex, wait!”

“Yeah?” Alex turned around and saw Kelly hurrying over. 

“You totally forgot your coffees.” Kelly said, handing them over. Alex blushed slightly at the fact that it had slipped her mind, but quickly recovered.

“Oh. Shoot. I must’ve gotten distracted…” Alex chuckled softly. She hadn’t intended to be fliratious, but Kelly still felt the urge to run and hide so that Alex wouldn’t see her reaction. 

“Right. Well. I’m gonna… I’ve gotta get back to work. I’ll send you the stuff for the application tonight.” 

“Perfect. I’ll see you soon?”

“Definitely.” 

And with that, Alex headed out into world, with her coffee and more confused than ever. What on earth was going on? Why was her face all warm? Why was she sweating? Her heart was pounding for no reason. That didn’t make sense. 

Wait. Did she have a crush? On… Kelly? No, that didn’t make sense. Alex shook her head and sighed. None of this made sense. She barely knew Kelly. How could she possibly have feelings for her? And there was no way Kelly could have feelings for her in return.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm home for a month between semesters, so you might get more updates faster. I hope you enjoy! Also, I apologize for spelling mistakes, I don't always catch them.

Time passed, and things began to change. Over the next month, Kelly and Alex’s playful banter was slowly turning into real, long conversations. Occasionally, Nia would have to nudge Kelly to remind her that other customers would be in any minute and she couldn’t just talk to Alex all day. Everything seemed to be going well. Until one day, when Alex didn’t show up.

Kelly assumed that the woman had maybe gotten sick or something, considering she always showed up at the same time, like clockwork. Though she worried a little, she didn’t say anything. She tried to forget about it until a blonde woman with a brilliant smile wandered in just a few minutes after Alex would have. Nia was busy in the back room, so Kelly stepped over to the counter to help the woman. 

“Hi, can I get a medium black coffee and a medium peppermint latte with extra whipped cream?” The blonde asked and Kelly nodded, studying her for a moment. 

“Sure. Are you Kara, by any chance?” Kelly asked, hoping it didn’t sound weird that she knew who the woman was. Truthfully, Alex was the only one who ever ordered those two drinks together, so this woman couldn’t possibly be anyone but her sister.

“Yeah! Kara Danvers.” The blonde said, somehow untroubled by the question. She glanced at Kelly’s nametag, then her grin grew even wider. “Oh! You’re Kelly!” 

“That’s what the name tag says, isn’t it?” Kelly chuckled, amused by Kara’s excitement. Did this woman know how to not smile?

“Right. I just meant… Well, Alex talks about you all the time! I’m just happy to meet one of her friends, finally. She doesn’t have very many of them, but you two must be really close.” 

Kelly wasn’t entirely sure how to respond to that at first, so she went about making the drinks while she contemplated Kara’s words. Alex talked about her? Alex talked about  _ her _ . To her  _ sister _ . Wow. That was a lot to take in. 

“I wouldn’t say we’re close, exactly. But I do see her just about every day when she comes in. As you can see, there’s rarely anyone here this early, so we get to have nice conversations.” Kelly shrugged as she handed Kara one of the drinks and started on the other one. 

“She really wanted to come in today, but she couldn’t. So, I’m the one getting the coffee today.” Kara explained after a moment, seemingly debating how much more she should tell Kelly. 

“Did she get to class way earlier than usual? Get a little extra study time?” Kelly asked with a soft chuckle. If she knew anything about Alex, it was that she was definitely a workaholic. 

Kara’s fingers tapped on the counter anxiously for a moment before she responded. “Um… Actually, she’s just got a bad hangover this morning. Hence the larger coffee than usual.” She said, pointing at the black coffee. 

“Oh. Well, I hope she feels better.” Kelly said after a moment. “Which coffee is hers?”

Kara pointed to it again and Kelly grabbed the marker she’d used to write on them. Quickly, she wrote out ‘Feel better soon’ with a heart and a smiley face drawn next to the message. 

“Aw, that’ll make her smile.” Kara said when she saw it. 

“So, Alex drinks the black coffee, huh? She wouldn’t tell me which one was hers, and I’ve been trying to figure it out for months now.” Kelly said. 

“Really? Usually, she’s very quick to explain which one is hers. She’s embarrassed by the sugary flavored drinks I get…” Kara pondered this as she left a small tip. “It’s not much, but…” 

“I appreciate it either way, Kara.” Kelly smiled. “Tell Alex I said hi.” 

“I will! Bye, Kelly!” Kara grinned and headed out the door. 

Kelly just smiled to herself as she cleaned off the counter. She wasn’t sure how to process what had just happened, but it made her happy. A few minutes later, Nia stepped into the room. 

“Hey, I thought I heard a voice that distinctly did not belong to Alex. Too bright and bubbly.” She commented, then noticed the look on her friend’s face. “And the giant grin on your face is because…?”

“Does there have to be a reason?” 

“No, but you look goofy. There’s definitely a reason.” 

Kelly rolled her eyes, but the smile didn’t disappear. “That was Alex’s sister that came in. Apparently, Alex talks about me enough for Kara to think that we’re close friends.” 

“You seem pretty happy about that. That’s good! I’m glad you have a friend here… Or, y’know, a girlfriend if you’d see how much she likes you.” Nia teased while Kelly gave her a half-hearted glare. 

“Whatever. It’s not a big deal. We’re just friends.” 

Nia sighed dramatically at that. “Whatever you say, Olsen.” 

The next couple of days, Alex came in as expected. She seemed a little tired, but she was mostly her usual self around Kelly. She didn’t say anything about the hangover, but she did leave a slightly bigger tip than usual, as a thank you for the message Kelly had written on the cup.

And then, a week later, it was Kara who came in again. Alex had another hangover. Kelly was a little concerned, since this wasn’t something that had happened before in the time she’d known Alex, but she didn’t say anything. It wasn’t her place. 

She handed Kara the coffees, along with a few tea bags. “Take the tea for free. It’s decaf. It’ll help with the hangover. Sometimes the caffeine dries you out, and the best thing for her to do is just rehydrate.”

“Thank you, Kelly. You don’t have to do that. At least let me pay for the tea…” Kara protested gently. Kelly just smiled.

“Alex is… my friend. I’m happy to help her in any way I can.” Kelly explained. 

“I’m sure she’ll be grateful.” Kara nodded and headed out. 

Kelly stood there for a moment, a slight frown on her face this time. Yep, she definitely felt something for Alex. Now, how exactly was she going to handle it?

  
  



	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter and the next will discuss Alex's drinking.

Kelly kept an eye on the door most days, wondering if she’d see Alex. After Kara had come to visit the second time, their routine that she’d come to expect suddenly ended. Alex didn’t show up at all, for at least a week. It was concerning, really, even if Kelly didn’t know much about what was going on. She’d learned over the time she’d known Alex that the woman loved routine and was nothing if not punctual and a perfectionist. For her to disappear for this long was worrisome. 

Towards the end of the week, Kara came in as the shop was closing.

“Is Kelly here?” She asked Nia, who was wiping down the counter.

“Yeah, she’s right over there.” Nia pointed across the room to where Kelly was putting the chairs up on the tables. Kara thanked her and immediately walked over. 

“Oh, hey, Kara!” Kelly tried to smile when she saw the blonde, but her face fell a little when she saw that Kara’s smile was a little less bright that usual. “What’s going on? Is everything okay?” 

“I was wondering if you’d help me with something…” 

“Of course. What can I do for you?” Kelly could already tell this had to do with Alex, or else Kara probably wouldn’t be asking her of all people.

“Alex is… well, it seems like she’s going through a tough time. And I’m having a little trouble cheering her up. But she seems to perk up a little when I mention you, so… would you be willing to come over for a few minutes? It doesn’t have to be for very long, I’m just worried about her…” 

Kelly watched Kara for a moment, deciding how she wanted to proceed. When it really came down to it, she and Alex weren’t that close. Not on this personal level. Sure, Alex had helped her with her application and Kelly had helped her out when she’d been hungover, but this… was different. This felt like a line that shouldn’t be crossed yet. But here was Kara, standing in front of her, looking so confident and sure that it would help. She couldn’t say now.

“Okay. I’ll come over. You mind waiting till I finish closing up?”

“Of course not! Go right ahead.” 

Kara waited very patiently while Kelly finished her work, just looking around the shop at all the pictures on the walls. It was a quaint place. Homey. Welcoming. She could see why Alex had gone here instead of the Starbucks near their apartment. Well, that was one reason. She had a feeling that Kelly was the other reason. Alex would never admit that to her, though. 

Soon enough, Kelly was free to leave and the two of them began walking down the city streets to get to Alex’s apartment.

“So… are you going to tell me more about what’s going on? I mean, I’m only just getting to know Alex, I’d like to get an idea of just what to expect.” Kelly said after a few blocks of walking in silence. Kara sighed softly, her breath visible in the cold night air. 

“Right. Of course.” She nodded and chose her words carefully as she revealed the situation. “You know how Alex is a medical student, right? Well, the assumptions about it are true and its super difficult, especially the program she’s in. And… well, it’s exam season.”

“Ah, finals. Yeah, I remember those days from undergrad.” Kelly nodded, then waited for Kara to continue. As much as she understood how rough final exams could be, she wasn’t sure what that had to do with Alex not stopping by. After all, one would think that a person studying for exams would need more coffee, not less. 

“Yeah… The thing is, she isn’t usually bothered by big exams and stuff. I mean, she gets stressed, sure, but she usually just ends up spending all hours of the day studying and then she does just fine. I don’t know what the problem is this time.”

“Is that why she was hungover?”

Kara nodded. “As far as I could tell, she was taking a practice test and it didn’t go well. She called our mom to ask for help and then hung up and went to go get drunk instead of actually trying again.” 

“Interesting. How has she been the last week or so? I haven’t seen her at all.” 

“She’s been drinking a lot. She studies a little, but then she gets frustrated and pulls out a beer or whiskey or something.” 

Kelly raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything at first. Alex had never struck her as someone who needed to drink to cope, but that’s what this sounded like. “Has she talked to you at all? About whatever is causing this?”

“Not at all. That’s the problem. She refuses to talk to me about it.” 

“And you think I can help because…?” 

“Because she trusts you. She just does. And she lights up whenever she talks about you. Maybe I’m too close to the situation. That’s why she won’t tell me.” 

The two of them approached the apartment door and Kara started to unlock it.

“Alex! I’m here! And I brought a friend with me!” She called out, as if to warn her sister about Kelly being there without giving her the chance to run away. As soon as she said this, a bunch of sounds came from the apartment at once. First was Alex swearing quite loudly. Then, came the sound of what was probably glass shattering. Then, more swearing from Alex. 

They opened the door to find Alex staring at them while she stood over a broken bottle of what was probably beer. Her eyes fixed on Kelly and she looked confused for a moment, before Kara quickly interrupted. 

“Alex, go sit with Kelly. I'll, uh, I'll clean this up.” She instructed. Alex was too shocked to do anything other than nod and go sit on the couch. 

“What… What are you doing here?” She asked the woman sitting across from her. Kelly just studied her for a moment. Alex looked run down and tired, her face pale and her hair far messier than usual. Her clothes were rumpled as if she'd worn them more than one day in a row. 

“Kara asked me to come. She thought I could… I don't know, help cheer you up, I guess.” 

Alex sighed and rolled her eyes. “I love my sister, but she's not always super smart about these things. I'm happy to see you, of course, just… not under these circumstances. I didn't want you to see,” she waved her hand at the room, “this.”

Kelly nodded. “I understand that. I do. Alex, she just wants to help. And so do I. Why don't you tell us what's going on? Please? We're both worried about you…” 

Kelly was worried for her? Alex filed that away in her mind to think about later. 

“Look, I appreciate it, but I'm fine. And… I really don't want to talk about it with Kara around.” 

“Why not?”

When those words came from Kara and not Kelly, Alex turned to see her sister standing by the edge of the couch. 

“Kara…”

“How come you'll tell Kelly but not me?”

Alex tried to backpedal on what she'd said, but it wasn't going to work. “Kara, I just… You wouldn't understand.”

“I'd understand more than you think. Can you stop being so damn overprotective for once and just let me help you?” 

Alex buried her face in her hands. “I can't tell you…” 

“Fine. But you need to tell someone. Because I'm sick of you putting yourself last, you just end up hurting everyone!” Kara said and hurried out the door, her face a mix of worry and anger.

There were several moments of silence before Kelly spoke. 

“So? Are you going to tell me or not?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your patience and for every one of your comments! You're all amazing!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some resolution to the cliffhanger, a little angst, a little fluff.
> 
> The rest of this fic is mostly (if not completely) fluffy.
> 
> Enjoy!

Alex didn’t speak for several moments, just staring at the woman sitting across from her. Part of her wondered just how long Kelly would wait for her to answer, and she wanted to test it. But another part told her not to. Kara and Kelly were just trying to help, to make her feel better, and she shouldn’t be pushing them away like this. And yet, here she was. She’d angered Kara somehow, and now Kelly was waiting for her to open up. It’s while Alex is contemplating all of this that Kelly decided to speak again.

“You don’t have to tell me, if you don’t want to. But your sister was worried about you.” Kelly’s voice was so soft, so gentle and kind. It made Alex want to tell her everything immediately. But she still didn’t open her mouth, though her resolve was quickly crumbling. Kelly watched her for a moment, then nodded to herself and stood up, heading for the kitchen.

Alex kept an eye on her every move, trying to figure out exactly where she was going with this. She saw Kelly fill a drinking glass with water, and had no reaction. It was just water. Then, she saw Kelly walk back and hand her the glass. 

“I don’t--” Alex stammered and Kelly raised an eyebrow.

“Just take it. It’ll make you feel a little better.” She advised, then sat down. Alex frowned, but took a few sips of the water anyway. She knew it wouldn’t help her hangover much right away, but it sure did have a calming effect on her. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them again.

“Okay. I think I’m ready.” 

Kelly just nodded. “Take your time. Just say whatever you feel needs airing out. You don’t owe me an explanation, but talking can help you organize your thoughts and understand yourself better.” 

“Ugh, I keep forgetting you’re training to be a psychologist…” Alex muttered, though her tone was a little teasing.

“If I get accepted, I will be.” 

“You will.” Alex replied with a slight nod, then went quiet again. Kelly didn’t push her to speak. It was all on Alex’s terms. 

After another few minutes of tense silence, Alex finally opened her mouth. It all came rushing out before she could stop it.

“It isn’t Kara’s fault. None of it is. Sometimes, I think I do things or say things that imply that it is. But it never was.” She began. When Kelly simply nodded for her to continue, she almost smiled. She was grateful that her friend was letting her just talk.

“I’m not sure if it’s anyone’s fault, just my own insecurities. When I was growing up, I was an only child. Both of my parents were scientists, and they taught me to love it just as much as they did. I must’ve inherited some of their intelligence, because I was always one of the smartest kids in class. All the teachers said so. I loved being the center of everything, feeling like my parents really believed in me. But everything changed when we adopted Kara.”

“How old were you?” Kelly asked. She didn’t want to interrupt, but she thought it might help her undertand Alex’s mindset.

“When we adopted her? Thirteen. And being thirteen already sucks, so suddenly getting a little sister was… rough. She’d lost everything. Her parents, her home… I’ll let her tell you about that sometime, I don’t want to overstep on her feelings. What I wasn’t prepared for was the fact that Kara was smart, too. Smarter than me, in the same subjects. What was worse is that she’s younger than me. She was eleven at the time, but as smart as a kid in high school. She very quickly became the favorite child. They were so proud of her. I would have been, too, if I hadn’t been so jealous.” 

Alex paused for a moment and took a sip from her glass, wincing with surprise when she remembered that it wasn’t alcohol like it usually would be for a conversation like this. Still, she drained the glass completely. Then, she continued her story.

“A year or so after Kara moved in, there was some sort of accident. My father died protecting Kara. I guess her family had some enemies and they followed her, even though she was an innocent kid.” She shrugged. “But with my father gone, the act of protecting her somehow came to me. I guess my mother was too busy grieving to do it herself. But, I was also a logical choice. I went to school with her, we were around the same age, I could be with her at all times if needed. I wanted my mother’s approval and, deep down, I really did care a lot for Kara. She was my sister, blood or not. Those days are long gone. She’s been safe since forever and she can handle herself now. But, I guess… I guess the pressure that was put on me at such a young age left a lasting effect.” 

“Can I ask a question?” Kelly said while Alex was paused. 

“Sure.” Alex shrugged.

“Kara said that exam season doesn’t usually bother you like this. And if you’ve made up with her by now, you two are obviously close… Why do you think you’re feeling like this?” 

“I’m in my last year of school before my residency. All of med school is tough, but this… This year has been especially awful. And, I guess, I’m still trying to prove myself to my mom and to myself. I’m just so scared of failing… And my way of coping with it is the least healthy way there is.”

Kelly just nodded and thought about it for a few minutes. It was interesting, how much she never would have known about Alex in their little conversations from the coffee shop. Yet, here they were, having this incredibly deep conversation that she honestly hadn’t been prepared for or expecting. It didn’t scare her away, though, like maybe it would have years ago. If anything, it just strengthened what she felt for Alex. 

“I want to get better.” Alex said suddenly, breaking Kelly from her thoughts and bringing her back to reality. 

“That’s a good start. How do you intend on doing that?”

“I don’t know. I’ve no idea where to start.” Alex admitted.

“Would you accept a suggestion?” Kelly offered. Alex’s eager nod told her quite a bit about how she felt about all this. 

“Anything. Even just the first step to take.” 

“Go to therapy.” 

Alex almost laughed at the bluntness in her voice. “Therapy?”

“Definitely. Not every week, maybe just once a month. But just enough to get you to work through things a little bit. And get rid of any other alcohol in here. Is there anyone who can keep you accountable?” 

“Yeah. A friend of mine and Kara’s. Lucy Lane? I’ve known her forever and she knows about… some of that.”    
  


“Good-- Wait, Lucy Lane? Small world.”

“You know her?”

“She used to date my brother, James.” 

“Your brother is James? He used to date Kara! He’s like a brother to her now.” 

The two women stared at each other for a moment before bursting into laughter. How they’d never met till now, was anyone’s guess. 

“I do have one other suggestion.” Kelly said, her wide grin turning to a soft smile. 

“And what is that?” 

“I want you to come to the coffee shop. Every day, after closing, so we can talk. And we don’t alwayd have to talk about you, just so that I can make sure you’re doing alright. Plus, when you pass all your exams, I want to be the first to know.” 

Alex looked at her, a little surprised but not unhappy with the suggestion. “You don’t think it’s… too soon? I mean, to hang out that much and talk about personal stuff?” 

“You just unloaded your entire childhood of baggage in front of me. I think we’ve gotten close enough for a daily check in.” 

“That’s a good point… and the routine of it might help, too.”

“Exactly. Will I see you tomorrow evening, then?”

“You definintely will. Oh, and Kelly?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically, it was Alex's actual problems circa season 1, but in a universe with no powers. 
> 
> Thank you for being patient and sticking with me through this! Four chapters left!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this quickly, so it's not perfect. But I hope you like it!

It wasn’t easy, the first day of Alex keeping her promise to Kelly. How exactly does one give updates on their well-being? Especially their mental well-being. She had no idea what she was going to say. 

As she walked through town to get to the shop that evening, she tried a few different things in her head. None of them really made sense to her. She wanted to thank Kelly somehow, since it was basically her idea that was making Alex feel better. But she also didn’t want to pressure her by saying that Kelly was the only reason she felt better. And, truthfully, Kelly wasn’t the only reason. But Alex didn’t always have a way with words, and she was bound to mess this up. 

Part of her wondered if she should just turn around and go home. Maybe Kelly forgot. Maybe she was busy. Maybe she still had to work. Maybe they’d be alone. Maybe they wouldn’t. Maybe she’d ask to many questions. Maybe she wouldn’t ask enough of them. Alex wasn’t sure which of those options were preferable, if any. But then, she stopped walking and took a deep breath. She could do this. She had to do this. She owed it to herself, and to Kelly for helping her. 

She took the last thirty steps or so to the coffee shop, only to find the lights off and Kelly chatting with Nia while she waited outside. 

“Am I late? How long of you been out here? It’s cold, we could have met somewhere--” Alex said as she approached. Kelly turned to see her and her smile instantly grew wider. 

“Don’t worry, we only just closed. Nia was just keeping me company for a minute while I waited.” She said gently. Alex relaxed a little and nodded. Sensing that they wanted to talk without her, Nia said goodbye and headed to her car to go home. Once she was out of earshot, Kelly turned her attention fully to Alex.

“So. How are you today?” She asked carefully. 

“I’m… feeling a little better than yesterday.” 

“Alex, that’s fantastic. Even a little progress is a good thing.” 

Alex smiled slightly, then sighed. “I almost didn’t come today.” 

Kelly was quiet for a moment, deciding how to address it. By bringing it up, Alex had made it clear that she likely wanted to talk about it. “Why is that?” She kept her tone even and gentle. 

“I… I don’t know. There were so many worries and fears going through my head. I’ve never really done this, sought help. Even when my dad passed, I just kinda… buried it. But I opened up to you, so now I’m facing it and it’s scary.” 

“I understand that. Totally. You don’t have to explain every detail to me, if you don’t want to. You can just tell me if you’re feeling okay and leave it at that. As long as you check in, that’s what’s important to me.”

“And because you’re the psychology student, you’re automatically right?” Alex said, a hint of humor entering her voice.

“I do know more about psychology than you, so…” 

Alex rolled her eyes and chuckled softly. Maybe… maybe this would be easier than she thought.

She kept her word and came by every day after closing. Sometimes she felt like talking, and sometimes she didn’t. But she always showed up. No matter how she was feeling, she always showed up. 

And Kelly? Well, Kelly was incredibly proud of her. She knew that it was taking a lot of bravery from Alex to face it all. After about a month of this, she made a decision to find a way for Alex to celebrate. Not only was she going to therapy and talking more about her problems, but she had been completely sober since the day she’d explained it all to Kelly. It was a huge accomplishment, and Kelly wanted to do something nice for her. 

One evening, after they talked, they started walking together. The direction was sort of towards Kelly’s apartment so that Alex could walk her home, but they were taking their time. 

“Hey, since there’s no rush and you just passed one month, which deserves to be celebrated… How about we grab some dinner?” Kelly suggested carefully. Alex looked fairly surprised, but nodded.

“I could do with some food and good company right now.” She shrugged. “How about that Mexican food place around the corner? I’ve heard they’re pretty good.” 

“Sounds perfect.” 

It was one of the best evenings either of them had in a long time. Everything felt so perfectly easy when they were together. Whatever was going on in their lives, a little time together semed to make it much less stressful.

Kelly ended up dropping off Alex at Kara’s appartment, where she’d been crashing until she felt comfortable going back to her own place. There was no way to avoid Kara’s curious smirk as Kelly left and Alex shut the door behind her. Alex tried to run off to the other room, but Kara followed.

“Was that Kelly? Why’d she walk you home? Isn’t it usually the other way around?” Kara asked before Alex could get her out of the room.

“Your apartment was closer.”

“To the coffee shop? I thought her place was closer.”

“No, the Mexican place down the street. We grabbed something to eat.” Alex said, rummaging through a drawer for some pajamas. She shoved past Kara and into the bathroom. At least Kara couldn’t follow her in there. But she could talk to her through the door.

“You got dinner?! Alex! That’s amazing! What was it like? Was the food good? Was-- wait. Was it a date? Were you guys finally on a date?” 

Alex opened the door, now in her pajamas, and glared at Kara. “It wasn’t a date. And what do you mean ‘finally’?” 

“Uh, you two like each other and I know you want to date her.” 

“I don’t!”

“Alex.”

“Okay, so I do. I do want to date her. Who wouldn’t? She’s perfect. She’s funny and kind and so pretty.... And ambitious! She wants to get her degree so she can be a military psycologist. And she’d be so good at it, she’s so good at reading people.”

“So… why wasn’t it a date? If you like her so much?” Kara asked, much gentler now that Alex was talking. 

“I’m not… I’m not ready. Being newly sober doesn’t really mix with feelings. I mean, I had the perfect opportunity to ask her out when she dropped me off, but I couldn’t do it. I need more time.” Alex explained softly. For once, Kara didn’t argue, nor did she pry further. 

“Then take all the time you need. She likes you. She, of all people, understands if you’re not ready. And I’m proud of you no matter what you do. But I do hope you ask her out someday.” 

Alex grinned. “Oh, me too. And I will. Just… not quite yet.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for any typos, I had this in my head and needed to write it! Three more chapters to go!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is like... 500 words longer than most chapters. I feel accomplished.

“Are you sure it wasn’t a date?”   
  


“Of course I’m sure. We would have talked about it if it was.” 

Kelly was back at work the morning after her dinner with Alex, testing all of their coffee making tools to make sure they worked.

“Did you want it to be?” Nia asked. She’d originally started this conversation to annoy her friend, but something told her that Kelly was a little disappointed about the reality of that dinner. Kelly shot her a slightly annoyed look, but her face softened when she realized it was a completely genuine question. 

“I don’t know… Maybe? Yes? Yes.” Kelly saw the excitement on Nia’s face and quickly added, “But I’m not going to do anything about it. Not right now, anyways.” 

Nia deflated a little but nodded. “Can I ask why not? I’m pretty sure she likes you back. And you deserve to be happy. And she clearly makes you happy.”

“She’s… going through a tough time right now. And I don’t want to push her in a direction that she doesn’t want to go. Healing takes time, we all know that. I mean, think about it. In your darkest times, would you have wanted to be just starting a relationship with someone?” 

“That’s a fair point. I didn’t think of it like that. And, you’re right. If I was in a bad place, or even recovering from it, I wouldn’t be in the right mindset to be trying something new with someone.”

“Exactly. So, I’m not gonna ask her out.”

“Mhm. Okay.” Nia nodded. “But don’t give up hope, okay? I have a feeling that it’ll all work out.” 

“Then what am I supposed to do? I like her a lot, but I don’t want to overstep.” 

“Let her make the first move.”

“And what if she doesn’t?” 

“Worry about that when you get to it. But you said it yourself, she’s healing right now. Give her time. Either way, you two are definitely friends for life after all of this. You’re in each others’ lives for good now, no matter what happens.”

Two months passed, and Nia’s statement proved true. Alex came by every single day for her check in, and the two of them ended up hanging out together far more often. It was a bit of a relief to both of them, knowing that whatever happened between them, they had a solid friendship. 

One afternoon, she and Alex were in her apartment watching movies, when a notification popped up on her phone. Kelly glanced over and saw it was a new email. 

“Sorry, Alex, I just need to look at this real quick. It’s from National City University.” 

“Your application?” Alex asked, looking over at her. 

“I think so…” Kelly said softly, taking a nervous breath. Alex reached over and squeezed her shoulder encouragingly. Kelly smiled slightly and read through the email. “Of course, I’ve gotta go look at the student portal online…” 

Alex nodded and paused the movie they were watching. “Go for it.”

“What? Oh, not now, of course. I’m hanging out with you right now.” Kelly shook her head, but Alex just smiled.

“There’s no way I’m making you wait to see what it says. I know how anxiety inducing those letters can be if you don’t look at them right away.” 

The look Kelly gave her right then was one of extreme gratitude and appreciation. Alex was putting her needs first, even if it meant that the evening would potentially be derailed. She took a breath, then went to go get her laptop. She quickly navigated to the login page for National City University, then put in her information. As soon as it logged her in, the letter popped up. 

“Oh, my god…” She murmured, her eyes wide. Unable to gague if her reaction was positive or negative, Alex nudged her gently.

“Well? What’s it say?” She could see tears in Kelly’s eyes and frowned. “Kelly…?”

Kelly looked up and quickly wiped her eyes. “Sorry, they’re, uh… happy tears. I got in, Alex. I got into the program. And the scholarship is just enough for me to go with the money I saved up.” She said, her voice quiet, as if speaking louder would suddenly make all of this disappear. 

“That’s amazing! Oh my god!” Alex immediately sat next to her and gave her a hug. “Congratulations. I knew you’d get in. You deserve this. You really do.” 

“Thank you. I couldn’t have done it without your help. I mean, you did help me put it all together.” Kelly reminded her. Alex pulled back and looked at her seriously. 

“I barely did anything. It was all you. You got that acceptance all on your own, and you did an amazing job. You deserve this all on your own merit. And I am so happy for you, and proud of you.”

Kelly opened her mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come out. How could she even say something that could respond to the beautiful, kind, genuine words Alex had just spoken? She was pretty sure she couldn’t. And, frankly, all she wanted to do right now was kiss her. The way Alex was looking at her, she wondered if she felt the same. But Alex didn’t make the move, so neither did Kelly. Instead, she pulled back slightly and cleared her throat. 

“Um, well… I think this calls for celebration. What are you doing tomorrow? I think we should get everyone together and just have an evening of games, movies, whatever.” 

“That sounds amazing. Here, let me give you Kara’s number so you can invite her.” Alex said, taking out her phone to text Kelly the number. “I’m surprised you don’t have her number yet, I thought she’d be checking up on me through you. I mean, we do talk more, but it’s still taking a little time.”

“I’m gonna guess she just wants to get all of her information from the one who’s actually going through it all.” Kelly smiled gently. 

“Good point.” Alex chuckled softly and sent the text. “There. She’ll be really happy to come over and celebrate, I’m sure of it.”

“Awesome! It won’t be a big group or anything. I’m probably just gonna invite James and Nia. I think Nia has a boyfriend, and he’s pretty nice, so I’ll let her know she can bring him.” 

“Sounds like a lot of fun. And I already know James and Nia, so that’ll be really fun.” Alex nodded. And it was fun. The next evening, the six of them were all gathered in Kelly’s apartment. James, Kelly, and Kara were trying to get to know Nia’s boyfriend, Brainy, while Alex and Nia were playing a very competitive match of Mario Kart. 

“No! Dammit! Two red shells in a row!” Alex groaned as her character was suddenly hit and stopped just feet away from the finish line. Nia’s character sped past her and over the finish line. Alex sighed and laid on the floor in defeat while Nia cheered excitedly. 

“That’s payback for hitting me with a pillow in the last race and knocking the controller out of my hand.” Nia grinned. Alex just rolled her eyes, but chuckled softly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kelly get up and head for the kitchen. Her heart hammering in her chest, Alex suddenly shoved her controller at Kara and got up to follow Kelly.

“Alex! I’ve barely talked to you all night, how are you doing?” Kelly asked when she saw Alex walk into the kitchen after her. 

“I, uh… I’m good.” She nodded. “It’s really nice to get to know Nia better, and to get to know more about James other than the fact that Lucy and Kara have both dated him.”

“It must be weird seeing him, then.” 

“A little.” Alex said. She was quiet for a moment, deciding if she was going to say what she wanted. “The thing is, it’s especially weird because I want to ask out his sister. He doen’t know that, but it’s still weird to think about.” 

Kelly looked at her, a little confused at first, then smiled softly, the realization dawning on her. 

“Ah. I can see why that would be weird.” She nodded slowly, letting Alex lead the conversation. She could see Alex blushing bright red as she took a deep breath.

“Look, I’ve… I’ve held off on asking you out because I felt that I wasn’t ready. But, I think… I think I’m ready now. To ask. And to see what happens.” 

“Oh?”

“Kelly, will you go out with me? Just on one date?” Alex said gently. 

“Does it have to be just one, or…?” Kelly teased, making Alex blush even more. 

“If it goes well, it can totally be more than one.” She replied, relief in her eyes at her response. 

“Then, yes. I’d love that, Alex.” Kelly smiled softly at her.

“Really?”

“Really. Just text me the details and I’ll be there.” 

Later that night, long after she’d gotten home, Alex laid in bed with a smile. She was going to go on a date with Kelly. Once it was all set up, she was going to be incredibly nervous. But for now? She could just be happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters!!!! Thank you for sticking with me through all of this! I'm back at school, so it may take a little more time to get the last two out, but I'll do my best.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short one today, folks, but to be fair it's mostly a filler. Enjoy!

Alex nervously paced around her apartment, occasionally pulling something from her closet, frowning at it, then putting it back. The bedroom of her apartment was an absolute mess, covered in different options for outfits, most of which didn’t even match. She was preparing for her date with Kelly, and she felt like she was going crazy. Her mind was racing with all of the ways this could go wrong, especially if she chose the wrong outfit. Just as she was starting to panic, she got a text.

_ Kara: Excited for your date???  _

Alex sighed and sat down to respond, deciding to be honest. If there was anyone she could trust to help her out, it was her sister.

_ Alex: Yeah. Starting to be more nervous than excited, though. None of my clothes are date-worthy. _

_ Kara: Want some help? I’ve got a little free time. _

_ Alex: This is why you’re my favorite sister. _

Half an hour later, Kara showed up at Alex’s door with a few garment bags in hand. Alex sighed with relief as she let her inside. 

“Thank goodness you’re here. What’d you bring?” She asked as Kara set the bags down. 

“I found a couple of things in my closet that might help you. I know our styles are very different--”

“That’s an understatement.”

“-- but I think some of these might work well if you combine it with things you already have.” 

“How is that even possible?”

“Can you just trust me for once?” Kara sighed and glared at her sister. Alex put her hands up in surrender. 

“Okay, okay. What’ve you got?” 

Kara opened one of the bags to reveal a deep blue blouse that she rarely wore. “This. I was thinking you could pair this with either your navy blue jeans, or your black ones, plus your leather jacket? It would look amazing.” 

Alex was quiet for a moment, then grabbed her jacket from her closet. She held her hand out for the blouse. “Alright, let me try it on at least.” 

Kara grinned excitedly and handed it to her. “It’ll look amazing, I can tell already.”

Alex just nodded and headed for the bathroom. She had her doubts, but there was nothing else she could do. Kara stood on the other side of the door while she waited.

“How are you feeling? Not about the outfit, I mean.” She asked. A sigh could be heard from the bathroom. 

“Nervous… really, really nervous. What if this goes wrong?” 

“You’re going to do great. You and Kelly are already such great friends, I’m sure it’ll be perfectly fine. She knows you, you know for a fact that she likes you, that’s already a step towards a positive outcome.” Kara told her gently. Alex opened the door and showed her the outfit. 

“What do you think? How do I look?”

“You look fantastic, Alex. Now go, enjoy your date.” Kara smiled gently. Alex looked relieved and nodded. Maybe this would turn out okay. 

Meanwhile, across town, Kelly was also fretting about the date. Alex was going to pick her up, so there was nothing she could do other than wait once she got ready. In order to distract herself form her nerves, she sent a video request to Nia, who accepted it immediately.

“Oh, thank goodness you answered-- wait, you look all dressed up. What’s the occassion?” Kelly asked, noticing the pretty dress Nia was wearing.

“Oh, I’ve just got a date with Brainy tonight. But before you worry about intruding, he’s not here yet, so we can talk until then.”

Kelly smiled, happy to see her friend going out and having fun. “I’m just nervous, that’s all. I know it’s probably gonna be fine, but first dates are always so weird…”

“What’s making you so nervous about it?” Nia asked.

“Alex and I are friends. We know how to talk to and be with each other as friends. Dates have much different expectations than just regular hanging out. What if it’s awkward and it doesn’t work out?”

“First dates are always awkward. But there’s no reason you can’t get past that. Just be yourself, Kelly. She asked you out because she likes you, so just act how you always do. Once you get through the initial weirdness, I’m sure the conversation will flow as it usually does.”

Kelly just sighed and nodded. She knew Nia was right, but she couldn’t help but worry. She didn’t want to lose Alex and certainly didn’t want to ruin their friendship, but she still wanted to take the risk and take it to another level if she could. She wanted to be with Alex. That was the most important thing for her. 

Suddenly, there was aknock at Kelly’s door.

“I think she’s here. I’ve gotta go.” She said quickly to Nia.

“Good luck!” Nia grinned and hung up. 

Kelly stood up and smoothed out her dress, taking a deep breath. Then, before she could chicken out, she walked across the room and answered the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter to go!!! So exciting!!!!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well. This is it. Last chapter. Thank you so much for sticking with me through this, I know there were some rough points and slow updates, but it all turned out just fine. Thank you for all the kind words and comments and kudos and reblogs on Tumblr and all of your support. It means quite a lot.

“You know, you still haven’t told me where we’re going, exactly.” Kelly said with a chuckle as she and Alex walked down the stairs of the apartment building. “Is it a secret?”

Alex just laughed softly. “No, it’s not a secret. It’s just dinner and a movie, nothing special…” 

“Nothing special?”

“Well, I wasn’t sure what you liked, so planning an over the top, extravagant date just wasn’t in the cards.”

“Sounds like you were more concerned with trying to get to know me, rather than trying to impress me and risk me not enjoying myself. I’d say that’s impressive.” Kelly countered. Alex looked over at her, a thoughtful look on her face.

“How are you so good at reading me?”

“I’m a psychology student, remember?” 

Alex rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah, okay.” She grinned. They walked in silence as they headed out the door, then Kelly paused.

“Where are we going for dinner?”

“That new Mexican food place downtown. I remember you saying you were really craving a burrito the other day, and this new spot has really good reviews so far.” 

“First of all, that’s incredibly thoughtful of you. Second of all, that’s at least a half an hour walk. How did you plan on getting there?”

Alex was quiet for a moment as they turned the corner. “You’re free to say no. I know not everyone is up for what I’m about to suggest. But I was thinking…” She kept walking a few feet and put her hands on the motorcycle that was parked there. 

Kelly looked at it, her eyes falling on the two helmets that rested on the seat. “Ah. I see.” She nodded. Alex frowned. 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have assumed. I can call us a cab, or--” 

Kelly lifted a hand to interrupt her. “Alex. It’s okay.” She smiled gently. “I’ve never ridden one of those before, and I’ll admit I’m probably gonna be a bit nervous, but… I’m willing to try. If you rode that here from your apartment, I know you can get us safely downtown.” 

Alex smiled with relief, the tension in her shoulders disappearing. She reached over and grabbed the second helmet, then offered it to Kelly. “Shall we go, then?” 

“Absolutely.”

Kelly got on the motorcycle behind Alex and, once her helmet was secure, wrapped her arms around Alex’s waist to hold on. Moments later, they were moving, riding through the city. It wasn’t nearly as scary as Kelly had expected. In fact, Alex felt quite steady in her arms. She was something Kelly could hold onto, both literally and metaphorically. 

They arrived at the restaurant fifteen minutes later. 

“Well? How did that feel?” Alex asked gently as she helped Kelly off the bike. 

“Oddly… very freeing.” Kelly nodded. Alex just smiled. She knew exactly what she meant. As they walked into the restaurant, Alex felt Kelly’s hand brush against hers. She knew somehow that it was purposeful, an offer of a sort. She smiled and laced her fingers through Kelly’s, so that they were holding hands for the first time. It felt natural already, as if they fit together. And when Kelly smiled at her, Alex knew she’d made the right choice in taking her hand.

Their dinner, though it was cheap and casual and not the most romantic dinner date there ever was, ended up being perfect. Alex and Kelly were a pair of students, just trying to navigate the world with student debt and a million other things on their minds. An extravagant date wasn’t what either of them needed or wanted. What they wanted was to spend time with one another. They understood each other, they could lean on each other. That’s what was more important than how expensive the dinner was.

An hour later, they headed out, once again hand in hand. They would have been finished eating earlier, but both ended up in a laughing fit for several minutes after Alex told quite the interesting story about growing up with Kara. 

Kelly’s never ending smile just got wider as Alex explained to her which movie she’d picked for them to see. 

“So, you’re telling me that you remembered food I had really wanted, and then picked a movie that you knew I really wanted to see and had mentioned over a week ago?” 

“Basically, yeah.” Alex chuckled softly. “When you say it like that, it sounds a lot more impressive than it feels.”

“Alex, I think you of all people should know how wonderful it feels when someone pays attention to the small details like that.” 

“It means a lot.”

“It really does.” Kelly agreed. “I was right when I thought this date sounded pretty special.”

The movie itself turned out to be pretty terrible. But, truthfully, neither of them minded. It meant they had something to talk and laugh about on the way back to Kelly’s apartment at the end of the night. Alex was still chuckling to herself as they walked up to Kelly’s door.

“I had a wonderful time tonight.” Alex said gently.

“I did too. I was so worried that it was going to be weird that we were trying to be more than friends. But, honestly, I think that made it even better. But, I am going to have to put in some effort to make our second date even better, because this was incredible.” 

Alex raised a hopeful eyebrow. “There’s a second date?”

“I think so. What do you say?”

“I’m gonna answer your question with a question. Can I kiss you goodnight?” 

Kelly smiled up at her. “Of course you can.” 

Alex gently put a hand on Kelly’s cheek to pull her close, leaning through the space between them to kiss her softly. It was brief, but it was enough for sparks to fly. After a few moments, Alex pulled back and met Kelly’s eyes with the kindest, most caring look that Kelly had ever seen. 

“Should I take that as a yes for the second date…?” Kelly asked with a soft smile, and a bit of a teasing tone. 

Alex laughed, nodding eagerly. “Yeah. That’s a yes. That’s definitely a yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not 100% sure what my next story will be or even which ship, but more of my oneshots and things will be coming between now and then! Feel free to connect with me on Tumblr (al-damnvers-blog), I take prompts and chat with all of you over there. See you soon, friends. :)


End file.
